Missing 3-yr-old found dead

Regular disputes between the mother of the deceased girl and the wife of the accused, along with the accused’s ₹42,000-loss in mobile gaming, were key motives behind the murder, said police

Mumbai: A three-year-old girl who was reported missing on Tuesday was found dead inside her own home on Wednesday night.

Harshika Sharma

The girl, harshika Sharma, her parents and elder brother lived in a second-floor one-room kitchen apartment in Devicha Pada. She was last seen around 12.30pm on Tuesday, playing in the corridor of the building and was kidnapped when her mother stepped inside the house briefly, said police.

Her father, Amrish Sharma, then lodged a missing complaint with the Taloja police, based on which a case of kidnapping was registered. Five teams, including a dog squad, were assigned to look for the girl, but they were unable to make any headway till Wednesday night, when her body was found wrapped in a plastic bag in the loft above the toilet at home by family members.

After discovery of the body, parallel probes were launched by Taloja police and the crime branch. Mohammad Ansari, 25, who lived opposite the victim’s house, subsequently confessed to the crime and was arrested, said deputy commissioner of police Prashant Mohite.

“Preliminary findings suggest that regular disputes between the mother of the deceased girl and the wife of the accused, along with the accused’s ₹42,000-loss in mobile gaming, were key motives behind the crime,” said Mohite.

“He wanted to dispose the body somewhere far away but the presence of police in the neighbourhood following the missing complaint made this difficult,” said a police officer. Eventually, upon finding the door of the victim’s house ajar when no one was around, he sneaked into the premises and placed the bag in the toilet loft.

“We are awaiting the post-mortem report to confirm if the girl was assaulted,” said Mohite. Ansari will be presented in court on Friday.